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Thanks to all of you who have written to council members and the mayor in support of amendments to the mayor’s budget to fund the Brown’s Island Dam Walk and other infrastructure. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, click here asap so they’ll see your message before the 3 pm meeting today.

How Will You Celebrate Bike Month?

Bike Month 2014 looks like it will be the best yet. As mentioned in a previous post, Bike Walk RVA got people together to plan their own rides and other events to celebrate Bike Month. You can check out all of them on this handy calendar. There’s something for everyone: lunch rides, donut rides, family rides and bike parades, a tweed ride, women-only rides and workshops, and much more — not to mention this weekend’s races and the Cap2Cap ride on May 10. Or just find opportunities to ride your bike somewhere instead of driving!

There are also workshops for people who have considered bike commuting but would like more information and encouragement. In cooperation with Active RVA, another Sports Backers initiative, Bike Walk RVA is hosting three seminars. Please share with anyone you know who might be interested:

Commuting by bike is something we can all aspire to and it’s chock-full of benefits. It kickstarts your heartbeat, makes your first hours at work much more alert and energetic, and can sometimes even be quicker when you trade traffic jams for neighborhood short cuts.

But it can take a little help to get started. That’s where Active RVA comes in. To support more Richmonders to use their bikes for commuting and running errands, we’ll help you to pick safe routes, learn how to navigate traffic, and get advice on what gear (if any) you could use to feel more comfortable.

These gatherings are informal with time to socialize, drink and chat. And we’ll make sure that you leave feeling more prepared to experiment with a bike commute you’d like to try. Plus, they’re FREE!

Connect RVA

If all of that were not enough, Bike Walk RVA has also just announced a new initiative called Connect RVA. According to Richmond.com:

Bike Walk RVA has announced the launch of Connect RVA, “a multi-year, regional campaign to make Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover better places to walk and bike for everyday activities,” according to a release. Connect RVA is now gaining traction in the city of Richmond and has recently become an official legacy project of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

“The Connect RVA project is a perfect example of the kind of legacy that we had hoped would emerge as a result of hosting the World Championships and a benefit for the entire community for years to come,” said Tim Miller, COO of Richmond 2015, the organization behind the effort.

What better long-term legacy could there be for the 2015 races? It’s great to see this kind of collaboration in the effort to ensure that Richmond becomes a truly bike-friendly city.

Bike Master Plan

Word is out that the Bike Master Plan for the city is coming together, and there will be a public meeting this month to get input on the routes and infrastructure choices for Richmond’s bike network. More on that soon!